St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-10-29
fORG Err RROCKWAY FREE,
Seventy Years Old and just Out of Sing
Sing-His RecOrtL

|. SlnS-hlS heCOrtl~
William E. Brockway t. e champion
tOrger Of this country, wall d out of Sing
Sing prison recently, havin? finished what
he declared should be his last term in prison,
but 1t would not surprise the prison officials
| to see him again in due time. He is nearly
| seventy years Of age, but he has all his
| faculties clear and bright, and his stay of
three years and seven months in the prison
has put him in fine health. The special
otfense for which he served the last term
was the counterfeiting lot of Morris and
Essex railroad bonds. For this he was ar
rested November 10, 1888, and pleading
guilty secured from Recorder Smyth, March
4, 1884, the light sentence of five years. This,
by good behavior communication, expired
yesterday.
The history of the man is one Of the most
extraordinary in the whole literature Of
crime. For nearly forty years he has been a
criminal of the most dangerous sort and he
has given the officers charged with the pro-
lection OF the currency from Justification
good share of their hardest work He started
on his career in New Haven in 1850. He
was Connecticut lad and found employ
ment as printer. He went to Yale College
for time to perfect his knowledge of cleo
tro-chemistry. especially as applied to the
production of electrotypes. He came back
with dangerous knowledge of many points
in practical chemistry and from that day on
he has excelled in every branch Of the en-
gravers art: His first trick was to take an
impression in soft metal of plate which
two directors had just brought in to have
a certain number of notes struck FROM
he was an expert penman as we'll as an en-
graver. When the war broke out and the
government began to issue bonds Brock way
saw his chance. and on the 73O bond his
work was SO good that 800. 900 of the issue got
into the government vaults from BrOckwav's
press before the truth was suspected. Jay
Cooke contested in the courts the validity of
the bogus bonds and Brockway was
arrested, but he got off. 1t was Brock
sion takers among the plate printers
OF the Treasury Department, and an i'm
preston was taken of every plate from
which notes were printed. Thomas Hale
was arrested, and he opened the whole plot
to the knowledge Of the secret service
officers Most Of the stolen impressions
were recovered, but Brockway secured the
plates Of 500 note. and bought his inn
munlty from government prosecution by
surrendering this plate. October %, 1880,
Brockway, with Doyer and Smith, was ar
rested in Brooklyn for his part in forging
the 81 900 six per cent. United States coupon
bond. The plates, presses and finished bonds
were all seized. Doyle was sent up for
twelve years, while Brockway, with thirty
year sentence imposed upon him, made
bargain with the United States law official,
and by consent of Judge Benedict the SEN
tence was suspended on condition that other |
plates be surrendered. 1t was agreed be-
tween the forger and the government that |
II he was caught in further tampering with |
United States securities that the sentence |
should go into effect He was caught again,
however
.Brockway is noted for his ability to hold
his tongue, and even the inquisition at head
quarters has failed to make him ''squeal"
He is wealthy enough to live in comfort for
'he rest of his days, but it is doubtful
whether he will do so honestly. At anv
'ate he will be watched, night and day, by
officers of the secret service squad of the
Treasury Department